Thursday, January 28, 2016

Finding Joy Where You Can

By: Annie Chamovitz

From: The Cumberland Creek Mystery Series

Author: Mollie Cox Bryan

Book 5 Title: Scrapbook of the Dead

I keep journals. Days go by and I can't find the time to write in my journal, and I don't beat myself up over it. I do it when I can. And sometimes, I do it every day. One of the things I like about journaling is having a record of my personal life. For example, my boys are almost teenagers, so when I read about their early years, it gives me much to consider. Here's one I ran into the other day: “I
ran water over the cereal bowls, with bits and pieces of cereal already
hardened on them, and the sippy cups, smelling like grape juice. Sweet, sickening
smell; and the stickiness drives me mad. After I finished placing the
dishes in the dishwasher, I looked out the window and thought Yes, that’s there I’ll plant my hummingbird garden, in that corner.Just a small space at first. Nasturtiums
along the fence. Foxglove, Cosmos—and what else did Bea tell me? Hmmm.
Dahlia. Oh yes, I love Dahlias. I'd love some red Dahlias. A nice bright little red feeder in the middle of it all.”

I can't tell you when the last time my boys drank from a zippy cup. In fact, I took a great deal of joy in pitching them years ago!

In the every day
ordinariness of life, we all need spaces of joy, spaces where our minds are
free just a bit.Sometimes we need to look up, glance
out the window, and escape for a moment.

For me, that
place has always been outside and many times, in my own garden. Don’t get
anything fancy in mind. Gardening didn't really work out for me the way I planned. But scrapbooking did. And crafting.

It’s so important
for each one of us to find that thing—whether it’s gardening, scrapbooking, or
knitting. Whatever brings us joy. A place where we’re not judged, a place where
we feel safe, where the rest of the world melts away.

Even in today’s
“connected” world where we have to participate in almost warped speed, it’s
important to step back from it all sometimes and shrug. Stand firmly in your
skin. Breathe fresh air. Remember who you are.

What is your
thing? How do you connect to yourself? Or even escape from reality from time to
time?

I don't keep a journal, but my BFF and I exchange a weekly status report every Saturday. I can look back and see how many of my goals I have reached and how many I left behind. With distance, the ones I left behind weren't right for me.

I read and I've started knitting - both help me relax and refocus! I did discover my grandmother's journals a few years ago, she passed away in 1969, and I've been reading them a little bit at bedtime…learning about her day-to-day life has been really interesting! :-)

Our Books

Search This Blog

Follow by Email

Welcome

We are the characters--major and minor--who inhabit the pages of some of your favorite cozy mysteries.We're coming out from between the covers and welcoming you into our lives.So grab a nice cuppa, settle in, and learn what happens when our authors aren't looking.

Top 50 Mystery Blogs!

Great news... Killer Characters came in at number 20 among the top 50 mystery blogs!

Nominations & Awards

Congratulations to our Killer Character member authors who have been nominated and/or won awards! Our authors are listed, and a link provided to the full award nomination list.